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Rolla Peace News May 24, 2016 |
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================================= Dear Friends:In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THIS WEEK, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 2. PRESIDENT TRUMP — IT COULD HAPPEN 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) One Percent: That's All You Need!
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We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office THIS THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016, (and all subsequent Thursdays until peace is established) from Noon to 1:00 PM. Please try to join us. The temperature is predicted to be in the 80s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. 2. PRESIDENT TRUMP — IT COULD HAPPEN Robert Reich explains Donald Trump's appeal to his constituents in this insightful article: Sadly, his appeal to many folks is based on his least lovable traits, i.e., his racism, misogyny and aggression. These qualities have been promoted in the American public by the politicians for years, so it's no surprise that someone who personifies them would be popular with the segment of the people who bought into that propaganda. Here's another factor that Reich did not mention: While Hillary Clinton is demanding that Bernie Sanders drop out of the race and give her his supporters, there's a lot of evidence that a lot of Bernie's supporters will not vote for Hillary, should she achieve the nomination. Many people will agree with Tryon Edwards, who said over a century ago, “Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both.” Several polls suggest that Hillary has at best a slim margin of victory over Donald Trump, and some show him beating her. Best case scenario: Bernie Sanders wins the nomination and beats Trump handily. Most polls show this to be the likely outcome of a Trump/Sanders election. If Trump wins the presidency, what could that mean for the environment? Nothing good, that's for sure. He has indicated that he might very well pull out of the Paris climate deal, scrap Obama's Clean Power Plan, and repeal many EPA energy regulations. Needless to say, the other parties to the Paris deal are not rushing to fulfill their agreements until they see if we are going to fulfill ours, which probably won't happen if Trump wins. 3. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) ONE PERCENT: THAT'S ALL YOU NEED! Ralph Nader's Breaking Through Power conference is in full swing. Ralph wants people like you and me to become social activists. It doesn't take much. Just consider it a hobby, a few hours a week and a few hundred dollars a year. Ralph claims that if just one percent of us became social activists — one percent — we could change the world: get money out of politics, rein in Wall Street, reform our system of injustice, healthcare for all, — you name it. The problem, says Nader, is that we are asleep at the wheel. “People don't show up.” Ralph, you are 100% correct! As Albert Einstein put it, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.” Last week Helen included a similar quote from the I Ching, “The inferior, dark forces overcome what is superior and strong, not by direct means, but by undermining it gradually and imperceptibly, so that it finally collapses.” Well, here's a little bit of social activism you can do in a few minutes to a few hours at a cost of Zero. The nine member Phelps County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Commission consisting of Jim Packard, Aaron Zalis, Bob Whites, Merle Alderson, Kelly Long, Larry Stratman, Mike Duncan, Joyce Thomas and Mike Miller recommended unanimously last week that Phelps County adopt the Westside Marketplace TIF, giving away some $22 million of taxes that you will pay to a St. Louis developer to build a shopping center for Menards — a reverse Robin Hood scheme — taking from the poor and giving to the rich. This scheme must first be voted upon by the Phelps County Commission. They will probably vote the morning of Thursday, June 2. That gives you eight days to call and email your commissioners and tell them to vote this tax-giveaway down. Then show up at 9:00 am June 2 at the Phelps County Courthouse and tell your commissioners face to face to vote NO. The population of Phelps County is around 45,000. One percent is 450. Let's see if Ralph Nader is right. Let 450 Phelps Countians call and email the three County Commissioners and then show up at the Thursday, June 2 meeting of the County Commission. Then we'll know whether Ralph Nader is correct. Here is more on the TIF. And here's the contact information for the Phelps County Commissioners: Randy Verkamp randy.verkamp@phelpscounty.org 573-458-6120 Gary Hicks gary.hicks@phelpscounty.org 573-458-6122 Larry Stratman larry.stratman@phelpscounty.org 573-458-6121 ================== Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Grassroots Rolla: top of rightmost column).If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Helen helenm (at) fidnet.com ### |